Tag: personality

You know yourself more than anyone.

You would know if you’re an asshole, a genius, or a violent sociopath, right?

Yeah, that’s right.

That’s the problem.

You know yourself for who you really are, but other people only see what you let them see. They see about 10% of who you actually are as person (if you’re super closed off like me, it’s probably more like 1.5%). That’s not a lot.

In fact, what most people think about you is only 20% what you’ve done and 80% assumptions they’ve made about you.

You make fun of a someone you’re friends with.

Assumption: You’re rude, unfriendly, and unapproachable.

You read books all the time.

Assumption: You’re shy, introverted, and very intelligent.

You make a few bad jokes.

Assumption: You’re annoying, cringey, and stupid.

It doesn’t matter who you really are as a person; it matters what you let people believe about you.

It may sound harsh, but it’s true. You could be hilarious, outgoing, and beautifully shrewd, but people may only see the bland walls you put up around yourself. It’s the same with a serial killer or child rapist. They could pretend to be sociable, kind, and charming while hiding their violent intentions somewhere inside themselves.

Realizing these things made me realize something about myself:

I’m an asshole.

At least, that’s how people see me. I never talk to anyone if my friends aren’t around. If they are around, I’m constantly shoving sarcastic remarks down their throats. When I’m doing something I know I’m good at, I smirk and pop my knuckles, knowing I’ll be in my element. If in a competition with other people, I aggressively fight for the prize–no matter who gets hurt. In soccer, I’ll ram straight into girls on accident because my eyes were locked on the ball. When I add all these things up and picture myself from someone else’s view, I realize the way I present myself.

An arrogant, egotistical, antisocial, sarcastic asshole of a human being.

Yep. That’s me.

Or that’s all I let them see. I have a vulnerable side (as we all do), a cold intellectual side, a friendly side, a shy side, an insane side, and a thoughtful, philosophical side that only comes out when I’m writing. We all have different sides that we keep hidden.

We are all 3-dimensional.

We just never remember that.

I’ve actually met someone who thought that I read books every waking hour of every day. Seriously? Who the hell has time for that?

But I can’t blame him. That’s all he ever saw me do. Sit in the corner, talk to no one, read. That was all I was to him. I didn’t let him see all the other sides of me.

I’ve never let anyone see more than 3 of my sides.

So think about yourself. What do you let other people see about you? What do you keep hidden?

There’s also the other way around. What assumptions have you made about people you barely know? Have you assumed someone’s an asshole and been proven wrong?

We all have. The next time someone hates you for no reason, or the next time you don’t like someone even though you don’t know them, just STOP. Think about it.

We are all 3-dimensional. Even those of us who only let you see 3 of our sides.

P.S. Yes, that’s my beautifully ugly face as the featured image.

I close the novel, “You’re . . . Luke’s mom?”

“You would be correct,” she smiles broadly. “He hasn’t given me many details, but I assume you two were in some sort of argument.”

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Sarah Partain

Born-and-raised in a humble town, Sarah had a normal childhood. She then discovered books, and became a withdrawn, sarcastic loner who tends to simultaneously offend and humor those around her.
Her relationship status?
Currently in love with multiple fictional characters, and forever separated by the barrier between fiction and reality.
Bummer, I know.